Heir Apparent
by Warden Of Ale
Summary: Ra's Al Ghul has waited patiently for Batman to take his place as Heir to his empire, but his patience has finally worn thin after years. Ra's Al Ghul sees only one clear choice now. Who better to replace Batman then the Batman's very own Heir, Dick Grayson?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Dick had been so careful. He had picked a meeting place at random. He had used an unmarked car in his civilian clothes to get here. He had prearranged the meeting years ahead of time and only spoken of it once. Only he, Kid flash, and Aqualad had known about it's location. Dick hadn't even told Artemis because he was bringing her anyways.

But none of that mattered. All that mattered was the man who stood in the shadows. With his regal bearing and almost sad smilie as if to say "Foolish children." mocking Dick and all the effort he had gone through. The demon's head had found them. Ra's Al Ghul knew. He knew that Artemis was alive. He knew that Aqualad was not a traitor. Just those two simple facts, learned with a glance could destroy years of work. Ra's knew it too. Dick met eyes with him and saw that the man had come for a reason.

"Kid Flash, stand down." Dick said quietly as he saw the speeder tense like he always did before a fight. Wally looked at him with disbelief while Kaldur seemed to have reached the same conclusion as his hands moved away from his Water-bearers. Artemis had a look of shock on her face, realizing the whole performance she had put on earlier was entirely worthless.

"Very wise my friend. Just so our parley can take place peacefully, If I am attacked at any point then I inform the entire light of this meeting. The implications would be quite severe." Ra's Al Ghul calmly stated. Kaldur raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to be implying that would not be your intention. Why?" Kaldur said in that mature tone he seemed to have born with. Dick looked at Ra's and saw the man was staring at him.

"My intention's are not the light's. Thus my silence can be counted on...as long as I am allowed one request." Ra's said as he continued to stare at Dick. It made him uneasy but it would be impossible to tell by looking at him. Training under the Batman had some perks.

"How can we trust you?" Kid Flash demanded. Ra's Al Ghul briefly flicked his eyes over to Wally with annoyance clear on his face.

"Out of all the men you label 'Villains' I assure you I am the one who keeps his word ignorant child. Ask young master Grayson if you need proof of that." Ra's eyes once again found Dick as did all eyes in the warehouse. Dick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Batman had told me that you knew. But what do you want me to say? That even though you could, you don't out me and him?" Dick muttered. Ra's smile grew a little more.

"That will do. Now about my request..." Ra's trailed off expectantly. Dick looked at the others and saw a general, if reluctant, nodding of heads. He faced Ra's Al Ghul again.

"Talk." He said tersely. Ra's frowned at him.

"No need for rudeness. Even when dealing with one who you consider an enemy show civility." Ra's admonished him, causing Dick to glare at him.

"Did you come here to teach or for an actual reason?"Dick demanded. The knowing smile that crossed Ra's face was puzzling to say the least.

"I wish to talk to you Grayson. Alone." Ra's raised his hand as the others went to protest. "This is not a negation. What will it be Grayson? A few moments of your time or the unraveling of all your hard work?" Ra's asked. Dick realized right then why Batman never let Dick com along when he went to deal with Ra's Al Ghul. Ra's asked the question in a way that made Dick face the reality of losing all of his hard work. This man had managed to realize that this reality was unacceptable to Dick and exploited it to get what he want. All of a sudden the regular line of bat baddies seemed a lot less threatening. Excluding the Joker of course. Whatever Ra's may be he wasn't the Joker.

"Guys wait outside. This should only take a minute." Dick said with all the confidence he could muster. He had to glare at Wally but eventually he walked out the door with the others and left. For a minute Ra's Al Ghul and Dick just stood there watching each other. Dick was recalling everything he could on the elusive head of the league of shadows. Batman never really gave much information on the man himself even when Dick had pressured him. But Dick did know that the man in front of him was in the ball park of seven hundred years old. Dick reminded himself to chew Batman out for the lack of information he shared on Ra's.

"So the detective's ward has broken his chains and chosen his own path? Or simply found a way to spend the time until he is called upon to take up the mantle? I will say, I never thought you would become so very interesting Grayson." Ra's said as he continued his creepily intense eye contact with Dick. Dick just grinned a bit.

"Interesting? Little old me? Nah...but The light's second in command, now that's interesting." Dick said and received a chuckle from Ra's.

"Well we both are just so very interesting it seems. But I never saw much of you with the detective. He made a point of coming alone to our meetings. I had to get you to know you through other means." Ra's said. Dick shrugged. Batman had made clear early on that dealings with Ra's would be handled by him alone.

"While I'm flattered that you made a point of getting to know me...can we cut to the chase here?" Dick bluntly stated. Ra's made that small frown again.

"That will need some work to be sure." He muttered just loudly enough for Dick to hear. Dick was curious but kept his mouth shut, letting the man in front of him steer the conversation. Ra's broke eye contact with Dick for the first time since they had begun and turned to face a large window in the warehouse. Moonlight flooded through and cast the ancient man in an eerie light.

"Do you remember the training exercise you participated in years ago, when you were still Robin? The one where Miss Martian caused near mental breakdowns for your entire team?" Ra's said softly. Dick tensed instantly. So few knew of that botched training. It was something everyone involved tried as hard as possible to put behind them. Dick made a short and sharp sound that sounded something like a yes.

"In the aftermath of that event each member of the team was sat down and given a through psych evaluation by Black Canary. I have watched all of those sessions yet I was most drawn to yours. Can you guess why?" Ra's asked. Dick quickly processed both the fact that Ra's had surveillance of Mount Justice and had recorded those incredibly intimate and private moments where the team shared how they dealt with the deaths of their friends and family. As quick as Dick did process it, It still hit him hard.

"I...I have no idea." Dick managed to get out. Ra's turned his head slightly and Dick caught a glimpse of the knowing smile.

"Never admit that to an one you consider an enemy Grayson. A lack of knowledge is a weakness and a weakness can be exploited." Ra's turned back towards the window before continuing. "I was drawn to it because in it you admit that you lack the drive your mentor possess. That thing that has allowed him to transform from a mere man to a veritable force of nature. That thing that gives him the strength of mind to sacrifice anything for the sake of the mission. That thing...you say you lack." And with that Ra's turned and met Dick's eyes. His voice had risen to the point where the intensity in it almost made Dick flinch. Dick met his gaze with a stone face, giving nothing away. Ra's smiled at this point.

"At first I was inclined to believe you. You seemed true to your word, lacking the drive of the detective. But over the years you have changed Grayson. That thing that you believe you lacked, I believe was simply buried deep. Covered by petty attempts to make your own identity in fear of becoming the brooding lonely man that is Bruce Wayne. But the years have allowed you to embrace that part of you more and now I truly believe you do possess the strength of will to match your mentor." Ra's said and this made Dick snap.

"Cut the crap Ra's. Just tell me what you want. I agreed to hear you out but I don't need your analyzations on my life." Dick said sharply. Ra's nodded.

"I suppose I have indulged my talkative nature quite a bit but to be fair I do have a point Grayson. You see this drive that I speak of is the very quality that led me to choose the detective as my heir." Ra's watched Dick's face closely as he revealed this. Just as Ra's had suspected, a fleeting look of surprise crossed Dick's face. Ra's pounced on the moment before it could be lost.

"Ah, so he never told you? Figures. The detective certainly loves his secrets. But I have waited many years for his answer to change and still it has remained no." Ra's said with a hint of annoyance. Dick felt a semi conscious feeling of relief at hearing that. He knew Batman would never agree to something like that but...there are no true absolutes in life if Dick was being honest with himself. Ra's went to speak again.

"Well Grayson even one of my age has a limited amount of patience. I have grown weary of waiting for the detective to say no yet again. So I have looked at new prospects and have found one blindingly obvious choice..." Ra's trailed off, his eyes boring into Dick. As quick as Dick usually was, It still took him a second to grasp what the man was saying. A look of understanding dawned on his face before he let loose a snort of laughter and soon he let loose with a full blown laugh. Ra's Al Ghul just stood there waiting with all the patience and poise of a statue. Dick recovered after a handful of seconds and looked at Ra's with an incredulous look.

"Okay...Okay...Let me get this straight. You are offering me..."Dick trailed off as he started to laugh once again. Ra's rolled his eyes slightly.

"Since you seem incapable of finishing the sentence, I am offering you the opportunity to be my heir." Ra's stated with a very formal air. Dick stopped his laughter and cocked his head.

"Really? You think I am going to give you the answer you are looking for? Oh that is rich Ra's that is just rich." Dick said. He went to speak again, to give Ra's the definite no he was going to get, but Ra's beat him to it.

"No. I did not come here expecting the answer I wanted. You are trained by the detective and thus have picked up his morality, for the most part. Over the years I have carefully reflected on how I have asked the detective if he would wish this honor and every time I see one obvious problem. I leave him a choice." Ra's finished coldly. Dick instantly lost all trace of humor as the implications sunk in but Ra's wasn't done.

"I know the identity of the single most paranoid 'superhero' on the planet. Imagine how easy it was for me to piece together the others. For one with my resources and determination it was simplicity itself." Ra's said in a very suggestive tone. Dick's mind was racing trying to think of what to do in this situation. Nothing in his training had prepared for what to do if an enemy knew not just your's, but everyone's secret identity. Dick gritted his teeth. He knew what was coming next.

"Now this information is very valuable" Wait for it.

"I know people who would kill for this" Just say it damn it.

"But I am a reasonable man Grayson. We could make an agreement." There it was. This was the plan all along for Ra's, Dick realized. His fists tightened.

"So I become your heir or you blow the whistle on the entire cape community?" Dick said with a strained voice. Ra's made a affirmative gesture.

"How do I know your not full of shit?" Dick knew it was a long shot but he had to make sure the threat was real. Ra's raised an eyebrow.

"Clark Kent, Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen, Augustus Freeman, Dinah Lance, John Jones, Billy Batson...need I go on?" Ra's said in an amused tone. Dick took a deep breath. Okay so Ra's wasn't bluffing. There wasn't many options but to...play along.

"Oh Grayson, do not worry. I am forcing you into accepting this but the choice to accept what I offer truly will be yours to refuse if you so wish. My Heir must be willing or else the whole function is lost. I will give you the chance to see what I offer, to experience what I have to give, and then if you so wish you can return to your mentor as if the whole experience never happened. All I wish is for you to have the chance to broaden your horizons." Ra's said. Dick was surprised but ultimately it made sense. Leaving his empire in unwilling hands would just lead to ruin on Ra's part. And Dick saw another side of this. He could provide support for both Kaldur and Artemis, Learn more about the light, and learn more about the secretive league of shadows. Already Dick was seeing how this could work to his advantage. And when it came down to it, Ra's was going to let him leave. For everyone's safety he had to play along for now.

"I have your word that you will not reveal anything you know and that when the time comes I will be allowed to walk away risk free?" Dick asked. Ra's allowed a grin to break over his face.

"You have my word."

**_A/N_**

**_So new story, inspired by a Teen Titans Fic I read where Dick continued to mentor under Slade. Somehow this came from that so... yea. Also important NO REACH. I really disliked the whole reach story for some reason. Well, Review and let me know what you guys think._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Previously_

_"Oh Grayson, do not worry. I am forcing you into accepting this but the choice to accept what I offer truly will be yours to refuse if you so wish. My Heir must be willing or else the whole function is lost. I will give you the chance to see what I offer, to experience what I have to give, and then if you so wish you can return to your mentor as if the whole experience never happened. All I wish is for you to have the chance to broaden your horizons." Ra's said. Dick was surprised but ultimately it made sense. Leaving his empire in unwilling hands would just lead to ruin on Ra's part. And Dick saw another side of this. He could provide support for both Kaldur and Artemis, Learn more about the light, and learn more about the secretive league of shadows. Already Dick was seeing how this could work to his advantage. And when it came down to it, Ra's was going to let him leave. For everyone's safety he had to play along for now. _

_"I have your word that you will not reveal anything you know and that when the time comes I will be allowed to walk away risk free?" Dick asked. Ra's allowed a grin to break over his face._

_"You have my word."_

**Present**

"You have five minutes to explain the situation to your friends. Then we leave, understood?" Ra's Al Ghul said with a hint of satisfaction in his tone. Dick frowned.

"Already giving orders Ra's?" Dick said. Ra's chuckled gently.

"No orders Grayson, just suggestions that would wisely be followed." Ra's smirked and walked to the door. "Just remember they can't know the nature of our agreement. For all the world to know this is a willing venture on your part. Understood?" Ra's asked and Dick nodded before Ra's walked out the door and left it open for the others who had been waiting outside to rush in. Kid flash was the first obviously.

"Are you ok? What did he want? Why was he here? Is the plan still good? Is-" Wally asked rapid fire until Dick held up a hand stopping him.

"The plan is still on...with some changes." Dick admitted. Kaldur noticed the change in Dick's attitude.

"What did Ra's want with you?" Kaldur asked apprehensively. Dick took a few seconds to prep himself mentally. One misstep here and Ra's could destroy the entire superhero community. Dick had to handle this just right.

"He made me an offer he has been making Batman for years. I made the choice to accept." Dick stated and before anyone could respond he grabbed Wally's shoulders and met his eyes.

"Kid Flash, everyone has to know that I went willingly. Do you understand?" Dick asked.

"Hell no." Wally said getting ready to say more.

"Do you trust me?" Dick said quietly. Wally opened his mouth to speak but then closed it and looked at Dick. The two friends looked at each other for a few seconds before Wally sighed.

"Yea, I do." He muttered. Dick clapped him the shoulder and then let go.

"This meeting never happened anyways so just act as if I disappeared or something. I'm sure Ra's will send me out eventually. We have to play this by ear but as of right now the plan is still on, just stay away from Ra's whenever possible." Dick instructed. Wally stepped forward and gave Dick their special handshake before pulling him in for a quick hug.

"Take care bro." Wally said and Dick nodded. Artemis gave Dick a quick hug.

"You sure about this? The mission is not worth everything Dick." She said. Dick sighed.

"We need this mission to work. We have to little info on the light and things are just going get worse unless we can stop it." Dick said and Artemis gave him a worried look before she nodded. Dick turned to Kaldur and motioned for a private talk. Kaldur walked over and the two moved away from Kid flash and Artemis as the two took the chance to say their goodbyes. Kaldur looked expectantly at Dick.

"If things go bad you do not stick around to try to extract me. You take Artemis and evac, Kaldur you need to promise me this. Don't risk your life to try to get me out. Promise me." Dick insisted. Kaldur gave Dick a critical look before a sad look crossed his face.

"If that is truly what you wish... then I promise. But Nightwing, what does Ra's have? There is no way you are doing this willingly." Kaldur said. Dick looked around with a bit of nervousness before answering.

"Just know I made the choice Kaldur, that's all I can say." Dick stated before walking away and towards the door. He reached the door and put his hand on the knob before turning around. He saw Kid Flash and Artemis holding hands as they watched him and Kaldur half masked in shadow with the same sad look on his face. He opened the door and walked out. Ra's Al Ghul was inside a car with the door open. There was an empty seat next to him and and a slightly excited look on his face.

"Are you ready Grayson?" Ra's asked. In that moment Dick doubted everything he was doing. He didn't care that he would ruin the lives of so many superhero's he just didn't want to get in that damned car with that twice damned man. Dick remembered how every time Bruce would get back from a encounter with Ra's it would take days of Bruce silently, intensely, brooding and a few long talks with Alfred before Bruce was back to the normal brooding. This man Dick was about to attempt to fool had been able to effect the one person Dick considered incorruptible. Now that Dick knew what Ra's had offered Bruce he was suddenly struck by the thought that maybe those long nights had been spent...considering Ra's offer? What had he gotten himself into?

"Ready is relative I suppose." Dick joked with a grin to cover up the sudden doubt he was feeling. Ra's just let out a small chuckle as Dick slid in next to him and the door closed behind him. The car started to move as Ra's spoke again.

"I was pleased with the way you handled the questions asked by your friends. You did well Grayson." Ra's said. Dick raised an eyebrow.

"Am I even allowed to have friends?" Dick asked sarcastically.

"But of course! Why I consider the detective a dear friend despite his efforts against me." Ra's stated, surprising Dick. How could Ra's really consider Bruce a friend? It just proved to Dick that he was really starting from square one with how to deal with Ra's.

"Where are we going?" Dick asked. Ra's made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"Ultimately to my home in the mountains. There we will complete your training." Ra's answered. Dick snorted disdainfully.

"Batman trained me and Batman has beaten you. What could possibly train me in?" Dick said. Ra's face grew serious.

"Weapons both classical and modern to start. Then of course the running of the league of shadows. But most importantly, Ruthlessness. The detective has trained you just shy of perfection, leading you to the pinnacle and blocking the path before you can reach it. You have been taught to injure and disable with moves that originally were meant to kill and maim. These moves have been modified by the detective to fit his style of fighting and thus he has taught it to you. I seek to correct that error and unlock the potential of what you have been taught." Ra's explained. Dick looked hard at Ra's.

"I won't kill. I will never kill." Dick said vehemently. Ra's shook his head.

"Never is so very absolute Grayson. Dealing in absolute's is never healthy." Ra's said and Dick got the sense that the conversation was over. He looked out the window and watched as the city flew by. After a while the airport came into view and the car pulled into a tucked away entrance, coming to a stop in front of a sleek, black, small jet.

"Private Jet Ra's? You shouldn't have." Dick snorted sarcastically. Ra's frowned at him a bit.

"Must you act so unpleasant? It is unbecoming of one of your ability and intelligence." Ra's said. Dick matched Ra's frown with a sneer as the door was opened and he stepped out.

"So I should be oh so very polite? Excuse my lack of tact when speaking to the man who not even an hour ago blackmailed me into serving him!" Dick yelled as he went to slam the door. Ra's hand appeared quicker then a viper and stopped the doors motion.

"So will you wallow in self-pity over your situation? Pathetic." Ra's said as he emerged from the car. Dick rounded on Ra's.

"Don't." Dick said with a hard edge in his voice. Ra's closed the door and cocked his head at Dick.

"Let it out Grayson. I can see the anger. The second Robin was alway considered the angry one, the rash one, but you were just better at hiding it. Come Grayson, maybe a friendly sparing will help." Ra's said mockingly. Dick clenched his fists.

"Shut up and lets get on the plane." and with that dick marched up the stairs and into the plane. Ra's chuckled.

"So spirited." He said before he followed Dick onto the plane. Dick took his seat in the obviously expensive plane. The seat were a dark brown leather and a solid wood table was between the two seats, the wood even looked expensive. Ra's landed in the seat opposite of Dick without a sound. He looked at Dick and Dick met his gaze. The two engaged in a staring contest for the better part of an hour before Dick sighed and moved his hands to his face. Ra's looked at him for a few more moments and then seemed to come to a decision.

"Would you care for a game of chess?" Ra's asked. Dick went to respond with a definitive no when he took a second to think about it. He could sit here on the plane doing nothing and making no progress or he could use this as a chance to let Ra's think he was making some headway. Plus he was getting bored. Dick nodded and Ra's clapped his hands and a well dressed large man brought in the board. It looked like it weighed almost a hundred pounds, the thing was composed of a mix marble and obsidian with a hint of gold outlining the squares. Then the man left and returned with the pieces setting them up. The pieces were made of the same material as the board only they were entirely marble and then entirely obsidian. The king and queen stood out as they had what seemed like crowns almost inlayed at the tops. Ra's controlled the black while Dick ended up with the white.

"You first Grayson." Ra's said and so the game began. Dick seemed like he was always in control of the game, setting the pace and taking an early lead. But as the game went on it became very clear that Dick was outclassed. Every move Ra's made set a trap to be sprung at his convenience, every piece taken was done with impunity, and every time a weakness showed it really was just hiding a devastating strength. Dick on the other hand couldn't make a move without a consequence.

"Checkmate Grayson." Ra's said calmly. Dick grunted.

"Should I be surprised? How many years of practice do you have exactly?" Dick asked. Ra's smiled a bit.

"Enough Grayson, Enough. Care for another?" Ra's responded and Dick nodded. And so the trend continued. Dick would seem to control the game out of the gate but would soon find himself losing on all fronts and being put in checkmate after checkmate. After the fifth game Ra's shook his head and sighed.

"A good showing Grayson but I still feel it...lacking. I propose a new idea." Ra's said with a knowing smile. Dick gave him a wary look before Ra's continued.

"For each piece of yours I capture someone dies. No one important, just some common criminal or someone along those lines. But if you are put in checkmate, then I kill someone you care about. Since I know many of your friends identities how hard do you think that would be? Maybe while they are running around in their costume it would be difficult, but If I but some poison in Barbara's milk while she is out on patrol? Some C4 under Roy's car? Simplicity itself." Ra's finished with a wolfish grin. Dick clenched his hands and could barley contain the rage he felt. He couldn't think of any way out of this and he had just lost five games in a row to Ra's. How could he possibly win now? When you can't stop the loss of life try to minimize it Bruce had always said, so that's what Dick would do. Dick managed to shake his head and Ra's made a small noise of approval. And so once more the game began. This time though Dick took a completely different approach to the game. He sacrificed pieces quickly but in doing so saved more in the long run and he managed to spot most of Ra's traps before it was to late. The game took on a more intense pace as both players took long turns. After an agonizing long time Dick moved his queen into position and let out a deep breath.

"Checkmate." He said in a daze. Ra's looked over the board briefly and then clapped his hands together.

"So it would seem. Well played Grayson." The man who had set up the table appeared and started to put it away. Dick had lost seven pieces during the game and he watched them get put into a case with apprehension.

"Baahir tell the pilot we can land now." Ra's said and the big man nodded as he put away the last of the pieces and carried them and the board away. Dick looked at Ra's accusingly.

"How long ago could we have landed?" He asked and Ra's made a dismissive gesture.

"Over two hours ago but we were playing chess Grayson." Ra's said as if that explained everything. Dick felt the plane land and a few minutes later the door opened. Ra's stood and made his way to the door.

"Now come Grayson and see your new home. We will discuss the importance of the lesson that particular chess game served as well." Ra's said as he strode out the door. Dick tensed at the mention of the game as he pictured the seven captured pieces, but he stood up and made his way to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Previously_

_"Checkmate." He said in a daze. Ra's looked over the board briefly and then clapped his hands together. _

_"So it would seem. Well played Grayson." The man who had set up the table appeared and started to put it away. Dick had lost seven pieces during the game and he watched them get put into a case with apprehension._

_"Baahir tell the pilot we can land now." Ra's said and the big man nodded as he put away the last of the pieces and carried them and the board away. Dick looked at Ra's accusingly. _

_"How long ago could we have landed?" He asked and Ra's made a dismissive gesture._

_"Over two hours ago but we were playing chess Grayson." Ra's said as if that explained everything. Dick felt the plane land and a few minutes later the door opened. Ra's stood and made his way to the door._

_"Now come Grayson and see your new home. We will discuss the importance of the lesson that particular chess game served as well." Ra's said as he strode out the door. Dick tensed at the mention of the game as he pictured the seven captured pieces, but he stood up and made his way to the door._

**Present**

Dick stepped off the plane and was stopped short by what he saw. The base of the league of shadows was actually in a mountain. Dick could only guess at the true extent of the structure but it was certainly a project that took more then one lifetime. They were in a hanger of sorts and it was filled with every airborne vehicle Dick could imagine. Hell there were a few he didn't recognize. Ra's was already a few yards away talking to two men who were kneeling in front of him. He turned back towards Dick as the two men inclined their heads and left. Ra's made a gesture indicating Dick to follow which he did. The two left the hanger and Ra's led Dick down a long hallway. As they walked Dick looked around trying to soak in as much as possible. Bruce had only found Ra's base once and after that he had found the place abandoned, so Dick knew he had to figure out where this one was located. Ra's noticed and shook his head with a smile.

"This hallway will give you no clues to where this base is." Ra's said and Dick turned and frowned at him, ready to say something before Ra's continued.

"However if you want to know Grayson, all you must do is ask. We are in the Alaskan mountain ranges, I can give you the exact latitude and longitude coordinates later if it helps you sleep at night." Ra's finished and gave Dick a small smile. Dick gave him a look of utter confusion.

"Why would you even tell me- wait Alaska? Batman and everyone else believes you only have bases in the Middle East and Asia." Dick said and Ra's just shook his head again.

"Whenever there are major events in the world, either by my hand or another 'Villain', I take up residence where I am expected to be so these assumptions are considered truth. If I seek peace then I come here where no one would think to look. And I tell you all this because if your going to be my heir then you should know what you are to inherit." Ra's explained. Dick let out a small laugh.

"You are really that confident I'm going to stay?" Dick couldn't help but say. Ra's looked at him strangely.

"More so now then when I first set out. You already passed my first test." Ra's said matter of factly as they reached the end of the hallway. Ra's pushed a small button and the door in front of them slid open to reveal an elevator which they both stepped into. Ra's hands flew over a small number pad and the elevator began it's ascent.

"What test?" Dick demanded to which Ra's merely stayed silent. Dick was about to speak up again when the elevator doors flew open and they found themselves in a very odd room. It did not at all seem like a room one would find in the middle of a mountain with what looked like a very dark wood making up the walls, floor, and ceiling. There were books on shelves that lined the whole room and three massive chairs set in front of a fireplace. There was a table set in the middle of the three chairs that had only one very expensive looking bottle of liqueur and three glasses on it. To say Dick was surprised would have been a understatement but after taking in the room he let a grin cover his face.

"The great Ra's Al Ghul has a room that literally fits the stereotype of rich evil villain man. That is rich, just rich." Dick said as he laughed a little. Ra's looked up slightly amused himself.

"We all indulge in one way or another. This is room is...one of my few indulgences." Ra's admitted. Ra's made his ways over to the chairs and sat in the middle one, gesturing to Dick to take the one on his left. Dick made his way over and sat in the massive dark leather chair.

"Care for some scotch Grayson? It's quite an old bottle." Ra's said with a grin. Dick chuckled a bit before he caught himself. He shouldn't laugh at this man's jokes.

he shouldn't be doing anything but putting him behind bars. But that wasn't really an option. Dick met Ra's eyes and saw the man watching him, testing him. _Forgive me Bruce _Dick thought, _but I have to play along...for now_. And so Dick grinned right back.

"I would think so. I bet an immortal can get a damn good bottle of scotch. It would just be criminal to pass up the chance to try some." Dick said and Ra's chuckled a bit as he poured three fourths of one glass full and the other about a fifth. He handed the smaller serving to Dick who raised an eyebrow but accepted it otherwise. Ra's raised his glass a bit.

"To new beginnings." Ra's said and Dick raised his glass half heartedly as they both drank. Dick had to stifle the urge to spit it back up. He wasn't exactly a lightweight but that was so damn strong scotch. Ra's on the other hand was unfazed as he set the drink down.

"To answer your question, the chess game of course was the test." Ra's said. Dick had assumed as much and tensed as he remembered the seven lost pieces. Ra's noticed and leaned in.

"You dwell on the seven you lost. Good. Never forget those you have sacrificed but do not them weigh as heavily on you as they do now. You protected that which was most important to you at the cost of others lives. In doing so you have taken your first step away from the detective. I challenged him to the same game once and do you know what he did? He told me he would not put any one life above another. Even as a sniper had your friend Alfred in his sights the detective would not acknowledge the value of the life of a loyal friend and ally life over strangers. Your mentor has a vision of the world that has been narrowed by his beliefs and experiences, to the point where nothing can sway him from his mission. Impressive but ultimately sad. You on the other hand were willing to make the hard choice and do what needed to be done. You, Grayson, have already done what your mentor would never do." Ra's passionately finished. Dick gave him a hard stare but behind that his mind was moving a mile a minute. Had he really failed bruce already? Bruce had been able to stand there and tell Ra's no with Alfred in the crosshairs? _Now I know more then ever I never want to be like him _Dick thought and instantly felt guilty about it. Bruce was like a father to him and he promised himself he would not pass anymore of Ra's 'tests'.

"Whatever." Dick muttered and drank another sip from his glass, a much smaller sip though. Ra's looked at Dick for a few more moments before his eyes lost their intensity and he fell back into his chair. The two sat in quiet for a little while, sipping on their respective drinks. The large fire casted a strange shadow over the whole scene that Dick found oddly comforting. Suddenly the doors opened and the two men from the hanger stepped in and bowed slightly.

"Master we have done as you ask, may we present-" The one o the right began before he was interrupted.

"I can introduce myself. But then agin my father does like to keep me away from doing anything when he can." Said a woman as she brushed by the two servants. Dick was in mid sip and was very proud of himself for holding it together. She was taller then most women, A few inches short of Dick's height, with extremely tan skin and a body that would make most models self conscious. Her eyes matched her skin in color and was framed by brown hair that ran down her shoulders to the middle of her back. She was dressed in a black tight leather outfit with something that mixed combat boots and high heels for shoes. She also looked quite pissed now that Dick got past the drop dead gorgeous part. The woman covered the distance to where they sat quickly and gracefully seated herself in the empty chair to Ra's right. Ra's for his part just looked tired.

"Hello Talia. I summoned you for a reason other then to hear all your hardships. We have a guest." Ra's said and motioned towards Dick. Talia gave Dick a quick look and then shook her head.

"Father we must speak about your standards, They have fallen so low." Talia said in a playful tone, pouring herself a glass of scotch and settling into her chair. Dick had an indigent look on his face but Ra's beat him to it.

"Quiet child, you know who he is and his skills. He is almost identical to the detective except for where it counts. We finished a game of chess on the way here." Ra's said the last part softly. This apparently meant something to Talia as she didn't manage to cover a surprised look before resuming her disinterested, detached face. But Dick could see she was paying a little more attention now.

"What and that qualifies him to be your heir? Father I once again ask you to reconsider." Talia said as she stared down her father. Ra's face hardened and Dick saw for the first time the face of the demon's head.

"I have made my choice. There will be no debate, do you understand?" Ra's said quietly without breaking eye contact with Talia. For a few moments Talia met his stare with a glare just as intense. Then she seemed to deflate somewhat and stood.

"Can I go." She said in a extremely neutral tone, betraying nothing.

"Yes but show Grayson to his room." Ra's said and then turned to Dick.

"Your training starts tomorrow. Leave." Ra's said curtly as he poured himself another and glass. Dick debated whether it was worth it to fight Ra's on basically being sent to bed but the man did not seem in a good mood. So Dick got up with his drink still in hand and followed Talia into the elevator. When the door closed she input some numbers into the keypad and the elevator began it's decent. Dick noticed that she had taken her drink as well and she was currently drinking it quickly.

"The scotch isn't going anywhere you know." Dick said with a smile. She rounded on him quickly and put a finger on his face.

"Shut up, _boy_." She said with as much venom as she could muster. But Dick was unfazed. This was not some ancient immortal, just his twenty six year old daughter. Dick could handle this a lot better then dealing with Ra's. Besides Ra's was not nearly as good-looking. He started whistling the most upbeat thing he could think of. He could feel the absolute anger rolling of Talia. When the door opened she was out of it so quick Dick was half sure she was going to hit the doors as they opened. Dick quickly caught up and continued his whistling as they made their way down the hallway. They reached the end of the dark hallway where there were two doors on opposite sides.

"Yours is on the left." She said abruptly. She input a code an d the door swung open. The room only had a nightstand, one dim lantern, and a incredibly massive bed. Dick stopped his whistling and grinned.

"At least you Al Ghul's know how to sleep." he said as walked in and set his drink down. He removed the top half of his costume and stretched out a bit. He turned and saw Talia watching him and he couldn't help but laugh a bit. Wally always said he was a dog.

"Not really a boy, eh?" He grinned a little bit more. Talia matched his grin with a sultry look of her own. she walked slowly towards him, emphasizing each step with a small swing of her hips until she stood right in front of Dick. She took the hand not holding the drink and ran it up his chest, tracing small circles. She leaned closer.

"No not a boy..." She whispered and then planted her hand firmly on Dick's chest and brought her foot around, tripping him as she pushed him so he hit the ground unprepared. Dick cursed as Talia walked towards the door chuckling. She turned at the door and grinned at Dick.

"A child...but one with a man's body." She said and closed his door. Dick stared at the door for a few seconds with only one thought

"Bloody hell."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Previously_

_"Yours is on the left." She said abruptly. She input a code an d the door swung open. The room only had a nightstand, one dim lantern, and a incredibly massive bed. Dick stopped his whistling and grinned._

_"At least you Al Ghul's know how to sleep." he said as walked in and set his drink down. He removed the top half of his costume and stretched out a bit. He turned and saw Talia watching him and he couldn't help but laugh a bit. Wally always said he was a dog._

_"Not really a boy, eh?" He grinned a little bit more. Talia matched his grin with a sultry look of her own. she walked slowly towards him, emphasizing each step with a small swing of her hips until she stood right in front of Dick. She took the hand not holding the drink and ran it up his chest, tracing small circles. She leaned closer._

_"No not a boy..." She whispered and then planted her hand firmly on Dick's chest and brought her foot around, tripping him as she pushed him so he hit the ground unprepared. Dick cursed as Talia walked towards the door chuckling. She turned at the door and grinned at Dick._

_"A child...but one with a man's body." She said and closed his door. Dick stared at the door for a few seconds with only one thought _

_"Bloody hell."_

**Present**

Dick awoke from his sleep suddenly, jumping up and breathing heavy. For the first time since his freaking pre-teen years he had a nightmare. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he calmed down, his breathing returning to normal. The dream had consisted of Ra's guiding Dick down a path and at the end Dick could see two doors. Ra's was talking the whole time but Dick only caught pieces as a sound from behind them was overpowering everything else. When Dick turned to see, He saw a multitude of tiny shapes running to catch up to the two of them but one shape in particular stood out, how could it not with the billowing cape almost covering the night and the sound of wings rustling. Bat wings. _Bruce._ Dick had known it was him and upon awaking Dick had an uneasy sense that Bruce on his way back. But that would be impossible, with the trail going on, Dick still had time to break free from Ra's and fix what ever damage was caused. He had to. Bruce would never forgive him otherwise. Dick rolled out of bed and found his uniform missing. In it's place was a black leather jumpsuit like the one Talia had been wearing complete with a utility belt and scaled down combat boots. There was no mask but Dick had been expecting that in all honesty. He got dressed, trying to ignore the fact that somehow Ra's had this thing perfectly fitted to Dick, and walked out the door where Talia was waiting.

"At least you wake up at a somewhat reasonable time. Let's go child." She said quickly and turned on her heel. Dick frowned and caught up.

"Child? Really? I do have a name you know." Dick said annoyed. Talia rolled her eyes as they arrived at the elevator.

"Not to me. You may have fathers respect but you have yet to earn mine yet _child_." She said the last word with definite extra mocking. Dick just shook his head and Talia in put some numbers into the elevator, setting it in motion. The two were quiet as the elevator moved up until Dick broke the silence.

"So where exactly are we going?" Dick asked. Talia didn't even spare him a glance as she answered.

"To test you." she said as the elevator doors opened. A small hallway opened up into what looked like a updated dojo of sorts. With the floor being padded and every melee weapon imaginable lining the walls. There was a single chair set up where Ra's was sitting, though he stood up when the two entered. Talia brushed past with a quick curtesy of sorts and Dick was ready to flat out ignore him but Ra's stopped him.

"This test is not my doing but my daughter's. These men are all hers and share the same disdain for your skills that she does. Show them you not some poor shadow of the Dectevtive." Ra's said as he sat back down in his chair. There were five men, all looked like they could deal some serious damage in a fight but Dick wasn't worried. In fact he was happy. He got to hit something. Dick stepped into the makeshift arena and took a deep breath closing his eyes. Dick knew the attack was coming before he even heard the man move. Dick dropped forward, crouching his legs slightly, as the man's swing flew threw empty air. then Dick simply straightened his legs. With an extreme amount of force. The man went flying out of the matted area and skidded for a few feet before coming to a stop completely dazed. Dick stood up and Ra's laughed. Dick's eyes were still closed. Dick opened his eyes to see the the other four encircling him. Now though there was much more caution as the disdain Ra's had mentioned seemed to be replaced by a healthy respect for the unknown. Dick glanced at Talia and managed to see a glimpse of surprise on her face. Then Dick was moving. He poured all his frustration over this whole damn situation, over failing his team, over failing bruce, into his body and let it energize him. He flew at the first man and grabbed his head, using it to soften his landing and knocking the man unconscious. Dick moved to the side slightly dodging a vicious kick directed at him then grabbing the offending leg and bringing his elbow down on the knee which elicited a very loud crack. Dick pushed the ruined leg up, causing the man to yell in pain, and moved onto his next opponent who had taken a more defensive approach. He then feinted a jab with his right hand then delivered a powerful kick to the man's chest causing him to stumble back and catch his breath. Closing the distance quickly Dick's foot connected with the man's face and sent him tumbling to the ground. Dick rounded on the last man and had to stop mid-swing. The man was on his knees, hands up in submission. The whole fight had taken six seconds. Dick reigned himself back in and stood up straight, he saw Ra's smiling contently. Talia on the other hand was a different matter as the fury was evident on her face. Dick then looked over at the man who was still bowing.

"He has acknowledged your superiority." Ra's said as he stood and made his way to the man.

"And he has learned not to question me. May the lesson serve him well in the afterlife." Ra's said with a sad smile. Dick went to protest but a dagger was already protruding from the man's chest, the only indication Ra's had moved was the movement of the cloth making up his shirt. Talia looked as shocked as Dick before several emotions flashed through her eyes, anger, fear, sadness, and acceptance. Ra's turned to his daughter and met her eyes.

"Dispose of the rest Ali." Ra's said to a man who had entered but his eyes never left Talia's who held that look of acceptance. Dick stepped between them.

"Ra's no one has to die. Let the men live." Dick pleaded. Ra's looked away from his daughter and regarded Dick coolly.

"Seven men must die Grayson. Would you have these four men live instead of four other lives?" Ra's asked. Dick met Ra's eyes and Ra's must have seen something he liked because of the brief flash of approval on his face.

"No one else dies." Dick stated in a tone that brooked no argument, a steel in his voice that only came from mentoring under the caped crusader. Ra's nodded slightly.

"Very well Grayson, I will spare these four men and even forgive the two more who were to be killed in your name. But only if you are willing to kill one person yourself. I care not who but you will owe me a death Grayson and the deed must be done by your hand alone. Do I have your word?" Ra's asked. Dick swore mentally but then thought about it. The kill would be on his terms and his timetable. So it just would't happen.

"Fine." Dick said through gritted teeth. Ra's looked at Dick critically, nodded, and turned on his heel, leaving Talia and Dick alone with the four unconscious men. Talia made her way to the one Ra's had put a knife into and knelt down next to him. She said some words that sounded Arabic but also something Dick couldn't recognize as she closed his eyes. She held the dead man's hand for a moment before she stood and looked at Dick. Her face for once was not hostile and Dick saw real sadness in her face.

"Thank you for saving them." She said quietly to which Dick just nodded.

"They didn't deserve to die. And no one will die because of me." Dick said fiercely. Talia gave him a odd look before she spoke.

"I…I didn't see him in you before but now…after this…you are the detective's son through and through. He would have done the same in your position." Talia said as she sat down on the mat, leaning against the wall. She stared at the dead man as she continued.

"You gave your word to my father. One doesn't break their word to the demon's head. He will see your promise fulfilled." Talia said in a quiet voice. Dick was about to argue but then he thought better of it. Instead he slid down next to her.

"Who was he?" Dick asked and Talia stiffened slightly. After a few seconds she relaxed again and spoke.

"He was my mentor. They all were, which is the only reason they were't expressly loyal to my father. For the longest time the only glimpses I would see of my father were distant and fleeting, never acting like the father I wanted. These men stepped in to that role, each in their own way. Kale was the kindest. He never raised his voice and never got angry. He was still a capable killer of course." Talia added the last part as if it was an afterthought. Dick considered her words and looked at the dead man in front of him.

"I am sorry I couldn't save him." Dick said and Talia turned towards him and cocked her head.

"His death is not your fault. Regardless of what my father says these men were marked for death long before your chess game. All for the crime of caring." She ended with a sneer. Dick just looked at the dead man for a few minutes until Talia rose and offered her hand. Dick looked up and took it, registering the surprising amount of strength in her grip. Talia met his eyes and had to catch herself. She saw the strength of the man before her in his eyes, the blue looking alluring black. Mentally smacking herself she spoke.

"I owe you now nameless." Talia said. Dick gave her a small smile.

"You don't owe me anything. So now I'm nameless?" Dick asked in a amused tone. She could see him trying to be upbeat despite what was happening. This was where he differed from his mentor she realized. The Batman was always focused on the mission devoting his entire being to the cause of justice. Dick had that same drive he just didn't let it consume him, he managed to keep his sense of humor in the face of all the horror he had seen since becoming Robin. And he was now using that sense of humor to try to help her forget what she had just lost, leaving Talia strangely…touched. She gave him a matching smile and walked towards the doors.

"You certainly are no child but you have not earned the respect needed for a name." She said cheekily as she opened the door to the hallway.

"Now come. Father has some trainers ready for you." Talia said as Dick trailed behind her.

**A/N **

**This chapters a little shorter then I wanted but things are going to start picking up in the next few chapters and I can't wait to write it! :D Thanks for the support and review so I know what to improve!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Previously_

_"I owe you now nameless." Talia said. Dick gave her a small smile._

_"You don't owe me anything. So now I'm nameless?" Dick asked in a amused tone. She could see him trying to be upbeat despite what was happening. This was where he differed from his mentor she realized. The Batman was always focused on the mission devoting his entire being to the cause of justice. Dick had that same drive he just didn't let it consume him, he managed to keep his sense of humor in the face of all the horror he had seen since becoming Robin. And he was now using that sense of humor to try to help her forget what she had just lost, leaving Talia strangely…touched. She gave him a matching smile and walked towards the doors. _

_"You certainly are no child but you have not earned the respect needed for a name." She said cheekily as she opened the door to the hallway._

_"Now come. Father has some trainers ready for you." Talia said as Dick trailed behind her._

**Present**

Whenever Dick was out in the field he always had one thought to comfort him. At least it's better then training with Bruce. In fact it had become the running joke in the Bat family. They could be battling killer croc down in the gotham sewers or fighting bane in the streets and they could still feel some relief that at least it wasn't training with Bruce. Dick really felt it a testament to Ra's training that he couldn't fall back on that old comfort. This wasn't training with Bruce, no this was training with the man who trained Bruce. For weeks Dick would wake up to some attack from a different weapons master every morning. One morning he could face off against a master with sais and the next a master with the friggin bow and arrow. Seriously the bow and goddamn arrow. Dick was so impressed the man was fighting as effectively as he was in the confined spaces of Dick's room that Dick almost ended up with an arrow in his chest a few times. But Dick beat them all. And now when they showed up, most masters never made it through the door before Dick had heard them. Dick learned to sleep more lightly in the first few weeks then he had in years. After his morning assassination attempt Dick then had training in everything form of fighting possible. Most of the teachers were teaching exactly what Batman had taught Dick only they were, for the most part, worse then the Dark Knight. There were variations in the style though, for instance in a move where one his trainers closed the distance and snapped the targets neck, Bruce had taught Dick to instead put pressure on a certain pressure point causing near instant unconsciousness. At first Dick resisted even modifying his technique. After a week of not even trying to imitate his trainers Ra's called Dick to that massive room with the fireplace. Ra's just sat there looking at Dick oddly. Dick gave him a defiant stare until Ra's shook his head and sighed.

"Humor your trainers Grayson. Humor me. Otherwise you are of no use and if you are of no use…" Ra's trailed off and Dick went from defiant to pissed. But all his anger hit the the stone wall that was Ra's Al Ghul with all the effectiveness of waves from a kiddy pool so Dick…humored him. Within two days Dick easily had the moves down. It was incredibly scary to Dick how easy the "proper" technique came to him and how much smoother the moves seemed to flow. Dick found himself moving through fighting stances faster then he ever had before and after a month Dick was keeping right up with if not surpassing his trainers. All except one. Talia was still his hardest fight and he knew why. The woman was fucking _fast_. She fought with a speed and ferocity that left Dick blown away. The first time was almost no challenge since he had no idea how good she was. After she had him knocked to the ground she looked at him with disappointment clear in her face and walked away. The next time they fought it was much more even but once Dick realized he surpassed her in hand to hand combat she, realizing it at just the same moment apparently, grabbed a sword and started whipping it around in unbelievably fast strikes. Every fight with her was like that, whenever Dick gained even the slightest bit of momentum she instantly changed the fight so she was once agin firmly in control. Now a month after his arrival, Dick was walking into his daily fight with her with some measure of confidence. Talia wanted to change the game very fight, well two can easily play at the game. A quick word to Ra's and a stop by the armory and Dick was ready for his he walked in Talia was wearing the same outfit she wore all the time and her long hair was loose. She was one of the few people Dick knew that seemed to fight better with her hair like that. Dick took his position at the other end of the mat and gave the traditional bow at the same time as Talia. Then Dick did something that went against every instinct. He charged Talia at top speed. Talia's eyes widened in surprise at the rookie move before a small smirk came over her face as she sensed an early and easy victory. When Dick was ten feet away he pressed the button on the device he was holding in his hand. The mini-EMP went off and threw the room into complete darkness, surprising Talia so much that she was completely caught off guard when Dick dropped to the ground and knocked her feet out from under her. Dick was already up and moving, scaling the wall and clinging to the ceiling. Talia for her part recovered amazingly well and managed to land in a full ready position. But Talia realized something after a few moments. This was Dick's comfort zone. The league of course trained her utter darkness but her father had mentioned how almost all the Batman's training exercises were done in utter darkness. Dick grinned as the familiar darkness embraced him and for the first time he felt completely in control of the fight. He shifted his body without a single sound and launched himself noiselessly at Talia. Talia heard him barley a half a second before he hit her like a very well coordinated bag of bricks, knocking her to the ground in truth the time before she heard a soft scraping and then nothing. She whipped her legs around in a deadly spin kick, using the momentum to rise to her feet but frustratingly hitting nothing. She slowed her breathing and cleared her mind, focusing completely on her hearing as she strained for a single hint of Dick. Amazingly she heard nothing, not even the damn man's breathing. Talia hated this, feeling blind in a fight, giving her opponent complete control of the fight. A sharp sound to her left made her snap a vicious kick to the offending direction but her foot met nothing except air. Then a slight hint of breathing again before a solid jab to the gut left her out of breath, with three lightning fast strikes before she could react. once agin though she met only air with her attacks. Talia felt a chill run down her spine, as she felt like she was fighting a bloody ghost. Finally she heard it. A quick exhale, barley audible even to the highly trained ears of the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. Her Kick was delivered with much more force this time and was rewarded with a very satisfying smack as she felt Dick's chest shudder under the impact. She heard Dick hit the wall five feet away and rushed forward to press her advantage. But her fist met nothing but wall as she felt, more then anything, Grayson's incredible display of acrobatics as he propelled himself a good few feet over her with barley anytime to push off and still nail a almost silent landing. When she rounded on where she thought he had landed she found nothing and once again heard nothing. Dick almost laughed. All those countless hours in darkness had paid off. He moved behind Talia and quickly brought his arm around to her neck, catching her what they both knew was a hairsbreadth away from snapped neck.

"Checkmate." Dick said cheerfully. Talia growled in a way that made Dick flinch.

"Release me nameless, before I snap your arm." She said menacingly and Dick quickly backed away. Talia stretched out and then glared into the darkness before she marched for where she knew the door was.

"Stupid EMP with it's stupid darkness…" Talia muttered as she opened the door and flooded the room with light. Dick had a moment where he couldn't help but admire her in the silhouette the light created. By all that was holy she was undoubtedly beautiful and Dick found himself wondering what she would be like if she wasn't so… Al Ghul. Since that day where she opened up a bit she had barley even spoken to him. Granted she wasn't rude or anything, just distant. Dick caught up to her in the hall way as they both made their way to the elevator.

"So I guess I'll be heading to my room, to relax and let my chest heal a bit. You know because someone pick more kick then kangaroo on coke." Dick said and Talia smiled a bit.

"From that the way that fight went, I would almost say that was a lucky kick. But of course I'm to good for luck." Talia said in a rare moment of humor. Dick looked at her a little suspiciously.

"The first fight I manage to win and your joking not even a minute after? I don't buy it." Dick said critically. Talia gave him a wicked smile.

"Well aren't you the little detective! In beating me you prove your ready for a mission. And you get to do it right now!" Talia said with a glint in her eye. Dick let out a sigh, he knew he would get sent out eventually but had been hoping it was later rather then sooner.

"Wanna clue me into exactly what I'll be doing?" He asked. Talia made a look as if seriously considering the request before she shook her head.

"No, Father wants the honors I'm sure. Good luck!" She said with fake sincerity as the door opened and she shoved Dick out. The doors closed promptly and Dick was left in the large room with the leather chairs once more. Dick had taken to calling it Ra's office as he seemingly only met with Dick in this room. Sure enough the demon's head sat in the center chair holding a small glass and watching the flames leap in the fireplace. Dick made his way over and sat in the chair on Ra's right. He poured himself a small serving of the liquor that Ra's kept on the table, though he was able to drink the stuff with more ease now. Ra's and him sat in silence for a few minutes before Ra's began.

"Talia is not an easy opponent to best. My daughter is one of the finest fighters the league has to offer Grayson, so congratulations are in order." Ra's said as he raised his glass slightly. Dick mimicked the gesture and mumbled something like a 'thanks'. He felt awkward accepting praise from this man. Ra's looked at Dick when he spoke again.

"Defeating her shows me you are ready for your first mission. Care to guess what it is?" Ra's said with a grim smile. Dick looked down into his drink. He knew the answer but that didn't mean he liked it.

"Something to do with my team I'm assuming?" Dick quietly said. Ra's just nodded approvingly.

"Good, you don't dance around the truth, avoiding what you know to be true because it is unsatisfactory. Yes, you will be running a mission against your team. They have been actively searching for you as your friend Wally has been amazingly silent. I may have misjudged the boy, he does seem to have some honor." Ra's face became thoughtful. Dick hated Ra's insulting his closest friend.

"He is doing as I asked because he trusts me and he is a damn good friend." Dick spat out and Ra's just gave him a calm look.

"It doesn't matter. Even searching for you they have still been doing their little missions now being directed by the current Robin. One such missions will be interrupting a transaction being done in my name. The buyer was promised protection and he shall receive it, from you." Ra's paused and took a sip of his drink.

"You of course will be accompanied be my dear friend Ubu. Simply a precaution as this is your first mission." Ra's said as a giant of a man stepped out of the shadows behind Ra's. He was massive, almost seven feet tall, bald, and all muscle with scars all over his body. The man looked at Dick with complete neutrality but Dick could see the hint of distaste in the man's eyes. He instantly didn't like the giant.

"You will leave within the hour. Remember Grayson, That the smallest sign of disloyalty you lose all value to me." Ra's said in a steely tone. Dick suppressed the urge to punch Ra's right in the face and instead downed his drink, embracing the burning sensation it sent through his body.

"I get it. I'll be a good boy." Dick said sneering as he got up and went to his room to suit up.

**San Francisco Docks**

Beast boy was two seconds away from a nap when Lagoon boy shook him awake and pointed out their target walking into one of the large warehouses. Lagoon boy tapped the communication device in his ear.

"We have eyes on the target Robin." He said quietly. A few moments later Robin responded

"Proceed but be careful. This almost seemed easier to find compared to most things connected with Ra's. Back up is five minutes out." Robin advised. Lagoon boy shut off the communicator and let out a low growl. Back-up was in the form of Superboy and Lagoon boy had no intention of going crying to him. He jumped down from his perch and Beast boy followed in pidgin from and then shifted into himself again. Beast boy grinned at Lagoon boy.

"Guns blazing?" He asked hopefully and Lagoon boy just matched his grin.

"By neptune's beard is there another way?" He joked as he activated his powers and became significantly larger while Beast boy shifted into a rhino and charged into the wall of the warehouse, knocking it down. The two found mostly most they expected inside, wit the two people involved in the deal staring a the wall in terror but then there were the other two men. One was a giant of a man with a completely unimpressed expression on his face as he regarded the two hero's while the other was decently not as large he managed to look even more threatening. He regarded the two with…sadness? What was up with that, Lagoon boy wondered. He heard Robin in his ear again as he ran forward with a now cheetah form Beast boy.

"Whoa guys that's Ubu, Ra's number two and…Holy…Jesus Christ! Pull back, pull back!" Robin started yelling as his voice cracked, panicked. Lagoon boy slowed down slightly and frowned, he had never heard Robin's voice like that. Beast boy in the meantime had closed the distance rapidly and went to pounce on the largest man. The man looked at Beast boy in disdain but didn't move a muscle, which he turns out didn't need to. Beast boy felt a sudden flare of pain as his entire body seized up, he fell to the ground paralyzed at the hands of the other man. Lagoon boy roared and charged as Robin yelled at him to get out but Lagoon boy was focused on hurting the man that had hurt his angel fish's little brother. The man ran forward smoothly and went into a cartwheel that ended with him pushing off at the last second and hitting Lagoon boy's face with the force of a runaway train, Knocking him to the ground. The man landed on his chest straddling him his he met Lagoon boy's face he gave a small grin.

"Probably don't recognize me, huh?" He said but Lagoon boy knew that voice. It sounded so familiar he was seconds away from placing the person's face when the man took out a mask from his pocket and held it to his face. Lagoon boy almost choked.

"Nightwing?!" He managed and then a fist flew towards his face and he quickly blacked out.

**A/N**

**First contact! Let me know what you thought!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Previously_

_One was a giant of a man with a completely unimpressed expression on his face as he regarded the two hero's while the other was decently not as large he managed to look even more threatening. He regarded the two with…sadness? What was up with that, Lagoon boy wondered. He heard Robin in his ear again as he ran forward with a now cheetah form Beast boy._

_"Whoa guys that's Ubu, Ra's number two and…Holy…Jesus Christ! Pull back, pull back!" Robin started yelling as his voice cracked, panicked. Lagoon boy slowed down slightly and frowned, he had never heard Robin's voice like that. Beast boy in the meantime had closed the distance rapidly and went to pounce on the largest man. The man looked at Beast boy in disdain but didn't move a muscle, which he turns out didn't need to. Beast boy felt a sudden flare of pain as his entire body seized up, he fell to the ground paralyzed at the hands of the other man. Lagoon boy roared and charged as Robin yelled at him to get out but Lagoon boy was focused on hurting the man that had hurt his angel fish's little brother. The man ran forward smoothly and went into a cartwheel that ended with him pushing off at the last second and hitting Lagoon boy's face with the force of a runaway train, Knocking him to the ground. The man landed on his chest straddling him his he met Lagoon boy's face he gave a small grin. _

_"Probably don't recognize me, huh?" He said but Lagoon boy knew that voice. It sounded so familiar he was seconds away from placing the person's face when the man took out a mask from his pocket and held it to his face. Lagoon boy almost choked._

_"Nightwing?!" He managed and then a fist flew towards his face and he was unconscious. _

**Present**

Dick sat in the back of the cargo plane as it moved silently through the night sky. He stared at his mask and repeated what he had told himself the whole time since the warehouse. He had to keep up the act. That's it. But it didn't stop Lagoon Boy's face from popping into his mind, the look of absolute confusion before he was knocked unconscious. Dick kept replaying the entire encounter in his mind wondering if he could've done anything differently. Dick grimaced as he figured Ra's would probably think it wasn't enough. He would find out soon enough though as they were reaching the end of their plane ride. Dick looked up to see if his giant of a companion had moved which of course he hadn't. Ubu took glaring daggers to an art form as he never looked away from Dick the entire plane ride. Dick wasn't in the best of moods to say the least and the whole passive aggressive staring thing was just fuel to the fire.

"Take a picture Ubu, it'll last longer." Dick said and Ubu narrowed his eyes.

"You are unworthy. The master would raise you above all others and you cannot even acknowledge the gift he offers. If you lived a thousand lives you would still be nothing compared to Ra's Al Ghul. The league will never be yours ignorant child, you are incapable of taking a life something the lowest member of our order can do. You could have killed two enemies today yet you spared them. You are weak." Ubu lashed out suddenly before he settled into his seat. Dick just grinned at him.

"So you got passed over for a promotion, boo hoo. Cry me a fucking river you seven foot baby." Dick taunted. Ubu growled but before he could do anything the pilot announced they were about to land. Dick just leaned back and kept his grin plastered on his face. The plane landed and slowed down quickly. As soon as the the plane stopped the cargo door opened and Talia stood there. Even with her there Ubu seemed ready to tear Dick apart so Dick made a slightly hasty exit out of the plane and next to Talia. She looked at Ubu and raised an eye at Dick who just gave her a small grin. A amused look passed over her face before she became all business.

"Ubu you are given leave. Nameless my father wishes to see you." Talia said and Ubu stormed off into the depths of the mountain. She then turned to Dick who just shrugged.

"He said some stuff, I said some stuff, he didn't like it." He summarized. Talia looked troubled as they started walking.

"Ubu is quite dangerous. He is not only well connected within the league but incredibly well trained. There is a reason he is my father's right hand." Talia said. Dick looked at her in mock shock.

"My god, you do care!" He exclaimed. Talia simply gave him a cold look until he relented but her look lacked any real malice.

"Ubu is dangerous but don't worry I can handle him." Dick said confidently. Talia looked at him questioningly as they reached the elevator, Dick just smiled.

"I tutored under the most paranoid man under the planet. I have a plan…and then another one…and then another one just in case." He said and Talia chuckled as the elevator opened.

"If you insist. See you at training nameless." She said and walked away as Dick stepped into the elevator. Dick pressed the floor he knew Ra's would be on and waited as the elevator propelled him upward. In no time he was in the now familiar room Ra's always met him at. Dick made his way over to one of the massive leather chairs and fell into it with a sigh. Ra's sat across with his hands laced, staring at Dick with an unreadable expression. Dick knew this game but still just felt like getting it over with.

"I know speaking first shows weakness and everything but I don't care. I didn't reveal anything to team and I let them know where I was. I told you once I won't kill and I mean it, especially any of my friends!" Dick yelled. Ra's just kept staring at him making Dick even more angry. Dick was ready to have another out burst when Ra's held up his hand.

"You did well Grayson." Ra's said catching Dick completely off guard. Ra's smiled a bit before he continued.

"It would have been stupid to expect you to go out there and kill people you consider friends after so little time with me and so much with the detective. Change takes time. I am simply laying the framework so that when the moment comes where you see a life that you must end it comes that much easier. What you must find is the balance Grayson. Some situations are better resolved with nonlethal methods but you must be ready to end a life if the situation calls for it. That is all I will say on this matter but now that they know your situation, to a small extent granted, expect more frequent assignments. Go sleep Grayson, you have earned it." Ra's finished, leaving Dick a little stunned. He was expecting to get chewed out and punished. Dick was a firm believer of not looking a gift horse in the mouth so he stood up and made for the elevator without another word. He stepped in and made for his own floor where he looked forward to much needed sleep.

But it was not meant to be. His sleep was fitful and filled with what he could only describe as nightmares. He saw the death of his parents and when Bruce would come for him he would see the Batman, not the man who had raised Dick, but the Batman that everyone else saw. Dick retreated into a corner until the Batman seemed to encompass everything leaving only the white eyes of the mask visible. All he heard was one word. Betrayer. Over and over again. Dick jumped awake breathing heavy. He calmed himself down but still was on edge. Looking at his clock he saw he had slept for two hours. He shrugged to himself and figured it was better then nothing before throwing on his truing clothes. He really needed to hit something.

Talia prided herself on being a light sleeper and the alert that went off when Grayson's door opened certainly did the job. She had a sensor built into the door and it sent a small alert whenever Grayson's door opened. It was just a safety measure but tonight she had had a felling that Grayson might try to make a break for it. He was to attached to his former life and having to hurt them for the first time had probably done the trick. The little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that at least he had people to get attached too but she quelled it quickly as she dressed. She was the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul and had no time for self-pity. She made her way out the door and quickly walked down the hallway as she spoke into her communicator.

"Lock down the hanger and all exits. Priority code Omega Lambda Seven Excel Nine." Talia heard an affirmative as she reached the elevator. It opened and she stepped in only to find a little note in the center.

"_Not tying to escape. Training. Go back to bed. Nameless._" Talia frowned but brought her communicator up.

"Can anyone tell me where Grayson is?" She asked. Almost instantly a voice responded back.

"In the combat room Ma'am." Talia was a little surprised but thanked the man and sent out a general order to stand down. She was half tempted to just go back to bed but at the same time she knew she had to visually confirm Grayson's location. Not to mention she was curious as to why he was training in the middle of the night. So she pressed the button and the elevator began it's descent, soon arriving at her destination. She stepped out and noticed she could hear the sounds of fighting from all the way down the hall. Talia made her way down the hall slowly as the sounds grew louder until she arrived at the window to the combat room. There she saw Dick Grayson fighting as if his life depended on it. The multiple dummies scattered throughout the room didn't stand a chance as Dick flowed from one to the next unleashing a few savage blows before moving to the next. He was fighting angry and because of that it seemed he was fighting lethal. Every blow was fatal and Talia couldn't help but admire the technique he displayed. Her father had told her that the Detective handicapped himself and his students with his nonlethal method and seeing what Dick could do when he wasn't focused on leaving any survivors was ample proof her father was right. In the center of the room was the most durable of the training dummies and this was the one Dick unloaded the most on. Talia could barley see his punches as they flashed in and out leaving the dummy shaking. His punches went from coordinated to pure brute strength as he unleashed whatever anger he seemed to have on the dummy before ending with one of the most vicious roundhouse kicks she had seen in her life knocking the dummy to the ground and leaving the neck bent at a very unnatural angle. Dick just stood there panting heavily over the fallen dummy and Talia realized she had been watching for ten minutes. Before she really knew what she was doing she found herself walking up to Dick and placing a hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense for a second before he relaxed slightly and he allowed her to lead him over to the wall where they both sat down. Talia leaned back and waited fro him to speak. If he wanted to talk about he would say something she figured. So they sat there for almost a half and hour as Dick slowly relaxed more and more, his breathing evening out. Finally he spoke.

"I'm doing what I have to." He said. Talia looked at him unsure but he continued.

"Bruce would never go this far. It would go to much against his code. He would never admit to being outplayed even by someone like Ra's. But that's the difference. I acknowledged it and adapted. I'm doing what I have to do and that's something he…That's something he'll understand." Dick whispered out and Talia understood what this was. He was trying to come to terms with the two worlds he was straddling. Talia was unsure what to do but then she thought back to when Dick had comforted her and she had opened up to him. Talia was never one with words, she preferred to let her actions speak. That's what she told herself when she covered Dick's hand with her own. Once again he tensed up immediately but then slowly relaxed and just seemed to accept the support the gesture offered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_Previously_

_Before she really knew what she was doing she found herself walking up to Dick and placing a hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense for a second before he relaxed slightly and he allowed her to lead him over to the wall where they both sat down. Talia leaned back and waited fro him to speak. If he wanted to talk about he would say something she figured. So they sat there for almost a half and hour as Dick slowly relaxed more and more, his breathing evening out. Finally he spoke._

_"I'm doing what I have to." He said. Talia looked at him unsure but he continued._

_"Bruce would never go this far. It would go to much against his code. He would never admit to being outplayed even by someone like Ra's. But that's the difference. I acknowledged it and adapted. I'm doing what I have to do and that's something he…That's something he'll understand." Dick whispered out and Talia understood what this was. He was trying to come to terms with the two worlds he was straddling. Talia was unsure what to do but then she thought back to when Dick had comforted her and she had opened up to him. Talia was never one with words, she preferred to let her actions speak. That's what she told herself when she covered Dick's hand with her own. Once again he tensed up immediately but then slowly relaxed and just seemed to accept the support the gesture offered. _

**Present, Mount Justice**

Tim Drake sat in his room in the same position he had been for hours. The team wanted answers. He owed them some. But he had none for them, no answers just questions. He wanted to know why Dick was there with Ubu and why he attacked his team…his friends. Dick had been like an older brother to Tim. Bruce was just Bruce and Barbara was more nurturing then anything but Dick was the one who was always ready to laugh, always ready to help Time but never coddle him. Tim knew that Bruce's unforgiving training had been made less stressful for Tim by quite a bit thanks to Dick. And now this. What the hell was he going to do? He had to tell Barbara, if she didn't already know. He had told beast boy and lagoon boy to not say a word unless he gave them permission but that order may or may not have been followed. He also had to… oh jesus he had to tell Bruce. Tim ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. That was something he really didn't want to do. Tim had no idea what Bruce would do but he knew one thing. When anyone got their hands on any member of the bat family, Bruce declared the equivalent of total war. Ra's had to know that, it had been Bruce's policy since didn't know if total war was the way to approach this at the moment. Dick had actually smiled when he had taken down lagoon boy and revealed himself. They didn't have all the facts and they were in desperate need of them. Besides Bruce was off-planet for the trial. He needed to talk to someone though and Barbara was the next best thing. He made the decision and sat there for a few minutes preparing to get up and find her when he heard a knock at the door.

"Robin, It's me open up." He heard Barbara's voice with a slight edge to it. Tim grimaced, he swore to himself to give a month of cleaning mount justice to whoever told her. He pressed a button on his belt opening the door for her. She walked in quickly as the door shut noticing that Tim's mask was off, she followed suit. She walked up to tim and sat on the side of the bed grabbing his face and turning him towards her.

"Jesus Tim you look like shit. When did you last sleep?" She started fussing, Tim just waved away her concerns and freed himself from her hands. She sighed before giving up and getting back to what brought her there.

"Tim I need to know what happened on the last mission. I ran into Lagoon Boy and he almost jumped through the roof and was out of there quicker then I've seen him move. Him and Beast boy have been actively avoiding me and not to mention when I went to look at the mission logs they were personally encrypted. By you. And here you are looking-" Tim couldn't stand it anymore and had to cut her off.

"It's about Dick!" He yelled standing up from the bed. Barbara let out a little noise and her hand went to her mouth.

"Is he…" She couldn't even finish the sentence. Tim shook his head slowly.

"No. He's alive through it's a little more complicated." Tim said. Barbara stood and turned Tim towards her. There was fire in her eyes that showed all the emotions she was feeling.

"Tim. Tell me what happened. All of it. Not a single lie or omission." She said. Tim met her eyes for a few moments then his shoulders slumped a bit as he gave in. He was going to tell her anyways he figured, no time like the present.

"Beast Boy and Lagoon Boy were going to break up what seemed a pretty meeting between some smugglers and their customers. Intel showed that the League of shadows was hired as protection for the deal, a very small team but one we still didn't feel local law enforcement would be able to handle. I figured that the two of them would be more then enough to handle a few minor assassins. They went in hard and fast breaking through the wall. I barely had time to register the fact that Ubu was there before I saw Dick next to him. He didn't have his mask on. I didn't know what the hell to think but I knew they had to get out whatever the hell was going on and told them to pull back. Dick though…disabled Beast Boy and of course Lagoon Boy charges him exactly like Dick knew he would despite my orders. He takes Lagoon Boy down and with a smilie on his face puts his nightwing mask on before he knocks out Lagoon Boy. A goddamn smile Barbara, I don't know what the hell is going on. I have absolutely no idea what Dick was doing there, where he has been, or why he attacked us. I just don't know Barbara…" Tim trailed off. Barbara stood ridged as a statue, her face giving nothing away. Tim started to worry a bit before she finally spoke up.

"Show me the the mission file. I want to see." She said with a hardness Tim had rarely heard in her voice.

He pulled up a screen on the wall and accessed the files he had locked. They came up on the screen and Barbara touched the one with the video showing the mission. She watched in silence as it played out just as Tim had described. Then watched it again. And again. She watched it for fifteen minutes until Tim was ready to say something she stopped it at the part where Dick smiled before he put on the mask.

"He's forcing that smile." Barbara said calmly. Tim looked closely at the image. When he had first seen it he had been to shocked to really notice but he knew Dick well enough that it did look a little forced. Maybe.

"Are you sure? I kind of see it but I don't-" Tim started but Barbara rounded on him.

"He's forcing it." She said with more then a little edge to her voice. Tim just nodded figuring she would know since she knew Dick longer. Barbara looked back at the video.

"This is the only copy of this?" She asked. Tim nodded.

"Yea, I even snagged the automatic back-up on the bat-cave's computer." Tim said already knowing what was coming next.

"Delete it." Barbara responded. Tim let out a sigh as he thought whether he should or not.

"Barbara…this is only going to delay it. We have to tell the team so they don't walk in blind. Giving Dick an edge like surprise…you know how dangerous that is. And there's Bruce." Tim weakly protested. Barbara rounded on him again this time anger prevalent in her expression.

"First, don't talk about him as if he is an enemy. This is Dick, our friend, our family. Second delaying is exactly what we need so we can find out what is going on and then we can make a plan. And lastly we will not call Bruce because we need to absolutely certain of whatever the truth is before we unleash Bruce on the situation. Do you understand Timothy Jackson Drake?" She said sharply. Tim flinched a bit as he heard his full name.

"Ok. But we need a plan." Tim said as he started to delete the files. Barbara's face lost the anger and instead was replaced with the intensity only someone who had trained under the Batman could muster.

"The plan is to find whoever is holding Dick and tear them apart if they don't let him go." She growled as the last of the files was deleted.

**League of Shadows Hideout**

Dick had been sitting for quite some time now. He shook himself into awareness, noticing that he had just zoned out and let Talia's presence distract him. Now though he noticed she had fallen asleep. He went to move then noticed that her hand was still on his. He looked at and found himself surprised at just how successful she had been at comforting him. It was…unsettling. Dick took a long hard look at the situation like he had been taught to do. Sure he found her attractive, any man would. She was incredibly beautiful and knew it as evidenced by her attitude. But her confidence wasn't just in her looks it was her abilities. Dick had rarely fought anyone as skilled as she was. Not to mention she was tough as all hell. But then there was this side of her he saw fleetingly where she would display signs of a more gentle side. Dick looked at her sleeping face and saw the face she was born to have. Being the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul had forced her to become the woman she was today and when she was awake you could see the almost constant hint of a frown. Yet sleeping she was…Dick caught himself quickly. _Wow _Dick thought. No need to become tangled up with the enemy Dick thought to himself. He forced himself to remember why he was here, against his will, forced to fight his friends. But he still didn't move. He looked at her serene sleeping face for a minute before he let himself drift to sleep.

**Elsewhere In the Hideout**

Ra's Al Ghul watched with a sense of satisfaction. Ra's knew that the only way for Grayson to really want to stay was for him to form a connection of sorts. If Ra's had forced his daughter upon Grayson then chances are he would have refused or ended up with his throw cut by a angry Talia. Neither of them would have let that situation happen. But being alive as long as Ra's Al Ghul allowed him to learn some things. That if you let it, fate will give you what you need and here was some proof that his hands-off approach seemed to be working. Grayson would become his heir. And he would rule with none other then the Daughter of the Demon's head, Talia Al Ghul at his side. This Ra's swore to himself would come to pass.

**A/N**

**Don't know about this chapter. Kind of feels like filler to me but this was the best version of it I could write. I'm not going to promise updates because every time I do that it just doesn't work out and for that I apologize. Just know that I haven't forgotten about this or my other stories and will get to them. Many thanks for your patience and support.**

**The Warden**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

_Previously_

_Ra's Al Ghul watched with a sense of satisfaction. Ra's knew that the only way for Grayson to really want to stay was for him to form a connection of sorts. If Ra's had forced his daughter upon Grayson then chances are he would have refused or ended up with his throat cut by an angry Talia. Neither of them would have let that situation happen. But being alive as long as Ra's Al Ghul allowed him to learn some things. That if you let it, fate will give you what you need and here was some proof that his hands-off approach seemed to be working. Grayson would become his heir. And he would rule with none other then the Daughter of the Demon's head, Talia Al Ghul at his side. This Ra's swore to himself would come to pass. _

**League of Shadows Hideout**

Talia woke up instantly cursing herself. She had only meant to return the support Dick had shown her and here she was falling asleep on his shoulder. She slowly made her way to her feet, knowing there was no way to do this without waking Dick. As she expected, Dick's training kicked in as he tensed slightly but then seemed to relax and looked very much asleep. She was grateful he was giving her a way out without having to talk about the position they had found themselves in. She quickly exited the room and went to the elevator. By the time she got back to her room she realized she had to ask herself some questions. Her father had brought Grayson here to be his heir but she also suspected he planned for her and Grayson to become a couple. Of course he hadn't mentioned anything like that to her but Talia wasn't stupid. At first Talia would have cringed at the idea. Now though…Dick wasn't as bad as she had first thought. The few times she had encountered Batman, he had always seemed more a force of nature then a actual man, taking down entire teams of trained assassins not to mention fighting her father to a standstill. Batman's face never changed, his expression neutral, his voice calm. Dick was much different. He always seemed ready to smile and crack a joke and seemed to be a actual person under his mask. Yet even he showed signs that he was the Batman's protege. When he needed it that dark intensity could rise to the surface, an intellect that Dick himself vastly underplayed, and fighting skills that easily gave Talia a run for her money made Dick quite unique. Talia knew she wasn't about to throw herself at Dick but she grudging acknowledged that she was developing some type of feelings for him. She laid down in her massive bed and sighed. All she could do was see how things played out, whatever will be, will be Talia figured.

Dick listened as Talia made her way out the door and waited a minute before getting to his own feet. He had no way to tell the time but he had a relatively accurate internal clock letting him he had about two more hours he could sleep away. He made his way to his room and flopped down on his bed, quickly falling asleep once more. Dick found himself awakened by knock at his door. He made his way over and opened it to find Talia standing there in her usual combat gear.

"My father wishes to see us both, immediately. He said be mission ready." Talia said and Dick nodded. He strapped on his batons and checked to make sure the rest of his gear was with him. He had figured Talia didn't want to talk about the other night and that worked for Dick. He had his own shit to figure out and besides he had much bigger problems. As Talia and him made their way to the room where Ra's always received them Dick felt very apprehensive. Ra's pronely wanted to send him on another mission to flaunt his new loyalties to Dick's former team. Dick resigned himself do what was coming next as they entered the room and found Ra's in his usual chair waiting for them. They each took a seat and looked at Ra's expectantly.

"I am sending you out to a island in the pacific that the light has been using as a smuggling center for the area. Important cargo is moving through there and the light want the league to provide security." Ra's explained but he had a slight frown. Talia noticed.

"Something about this bothers you?" Talia asked and Ra's just nodded while rolling his eyes slightly.

"Yes, Vandal Savage has specifically ordered that Dick be sent with the security team. The man presumes much giving me orders." Ra's said with a frown on his face.

"It doesn't matter as I had intended to send both of you with the team. There has been suspicion that your former team has knowledge of the cargo's importance and plan to secure it themselves. If that is the case then you know what to do Grayson?" Ra's looked at Dick who gave a terse nod. Ra's smiled before continuing.

"There is one more thing Grayson. You are to protect my daughter at all costs, because if she sustains any injury, I will release the secret identity of a prominent justice league member." Ra's said with a gleam in his eye. Dick's eyes widened before they narrowed dangerously.

"We had a deal. The whole point of me being here is so that none of that becomes public." Dick said through gritted teeth. Ra's waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes and that deal still stands as the entirety of the super hero community will be safe. All that is at risk is one hero's secret identity. Now head to the armory, there are a few things you will need to pick up before you leave. Grayson, do take everything I have left for you in the armory as there will be consequences if you don't." Ra's said finishing the conversation. Dick simply stood up and walked away, the tension visible in each step. Talia looked at her father in annoyance that he had implied she needed protection but knew his mind was made up on this so she followed Dick. The elevator ride was filled with more tension as the anger was practically rolling off of Dick. Talia sighed before she got Dick's attention. He looked at her before she spoke.

"Look I'll fight defensively and not make any aggressive attacks unless forced to. If your former team does show, I won't put myself in a position to be easily injured, Alright Dick?" Talia conceded. Dick raised an eyebrow before he relaxed a bit and let out a long breath.

"Thank you Talia. That means a lot to me." Dick said quietly. a few seconds later Dick looked at her again.

"You called me Dick." He stated with a bit of surprise clear in his voice. Talia nodded.

"That I did." She simply said offering no further explanation as the elevator let them off at the armory.

**Island in the Pacific**

Tim sat in the darkness provided by the trees watching the men prepare for the arrival of the cargo. His outfit was a random pattern of grey and green only enhancing his camouflage. This still didn't stop Tim from being nervous though. All he could think about was what he would do if Dick showed up. The team was unprepared to deal with him since they had no idea he was even a threat. Even worse was the fact that Megan was on the mission. Of course she said she wouldn't read her allies minds anymore but all it took was an innocent little peek at Tim's mind and she would be privy to quite the bombshell. She was stationed with Superboy a little deeper in the forest with Batgirl and Wonder Girl on standby if back up was needed. Tim was forced out of his thoughts by movement on the tarmac. The little runway was clearing which made no sense as the package was not due for another thirty minutes. He watched with a sinking feeling in his stomach as a plane touched down and the door opened. Ten who obviously belonged to the league of shadows exited. They secured the area around the plane quickly and efficiently and then stood at attention. A beautiful woman who looked to be in her twenties stepped out of the airplane, Tim recognized her as Talia Al Ghul. Then the one person Tim had prayed not to see stepped off the plane. Dick made his way onto the tarmac in his usual getup minus the mask and symbol but with the addition of a Glock 22 on his side. Tim instantly sent out a private radio signal to Barbara.

"Batgirl he's here." Tim whispered into his earpiece. There was silence for a few moments before she responded.

"Proceed with the plan but have Miss Martian stay as far from him as possible. Me and Wonder Girl will get in position so me and you can go talk to him." Barbara ordered quietly. Tim sent the affirmative signal and waited. A few minutes later the plane dick had arrived had cleared the tarmac and Tim heard the sounds of another engine, this one much larger. He cursed under his breath and radioed Barbara.

"The cargo is arriving! Where are you?" Tim whispered. Barbara responded instantly.

"Patrols are relying us, making us go slow. Three maybe four minutes out." She reported in. Tim watched as the plane Appeared above the treelike and started to close in on the tarmac. Tim did the calculations quickly before radioing Barbara.

"By that time Cargo will be at the very least secure if not in the sky. I have to send in Superboy and Miss Martian." Tim made the decision even as he heard Barbara gather the breath to argue with him, he switched off that channel and went back to public.

"Alright, Alpha team stick to the plan, Bravo team is inbound and will arrive in three-four minutes. Neither team is to engage Talia Al Ghul and her companion, Sending out a picture so you can identify her. Let me distract her." Tim ordered as he got affirmatives from the two teams even if Barbara's sounded a little forced. Tim knew that she would kill him for this but whatever the cargo coming in was, he knew it was at list class A meaning it was to be captured at all costs. About twenty seconds later the plane landed and rolled to a stop. Men with guns secured the door as the league's men stood to the sideband scanned the area. Talia drew a sword from her back and stood stock still watching just like her men while Dick drew on of his batons and twirled it absently around. Tim refocussed on the plane and he knew Alpha team should be hitting down any second now. Suddenly his communicator flashed and without his approval the line was taken over.

"Walk away Robin." Tim felt a cold chill run down his back as he heard Dick's voice, so calm and neutral. Tim quickly tried to hail Alpha team then Bravo as a thousand thoughts raced through his head.

"Nightwing talk to me. What the hell is going on and why can't I reach anybody?" Tim asked as he desperately tried to override whatever jam Dick on the comms. Tim looked at Dick and saw him staring directly at him.

"Your team does not have surprise and your reinforcements are further delayed by patrols that seem random but really are not. Trust me, the smart play is to stand down." Dick explained. Tim was still frantically trying unscramble comms. He wasn't ready for this, confronting Dick, trying to run a quickly crumbling operation, and dealing with a class A item.

"Nightwing this is a class A item your securing for the other side. What is wrong with this picture?!" Tim almost yelled into the earpiece as watched Dick's face. Even Dick couldn't hide the ever so small surprise on his face as Tim mentioned class A. But just like that it was gone and Dick was neutral again.

"I'm restoring your comms to Alpha team. Call. Them. Off." Dick said with finality before the line went dead. Suddenly Tim could hear his team again.

"Thank god Robin, I was about to try to contact you mentally. Alpha team is ready to move, do we have a go?" Miss Martian asked a bit apprehensively. Tim felt the weight of leadership at that moment as he decided on whether to send his team in against a dangerous, prepared, foe without the element of surprise on their side.

"Alpha team is a go but go in hard as the enemy knows your coming. Don't expect Bravo team for a while." Tim said with a heavy heart.

**Line Break**

Dick cursed as he heard Robin give the orders. He would have given anything for Megan not be on this mission and hoped she would give them a wide berth. He looked up and saw a small opening in what seemed empty sky but Dick knew that the bio-ship was up there.

"Contact up! Take Cover!" Dick yelled loud as he could while grabbing Talia and steering her away from the incoming hit. They made it ten feet before the ground shook from Superboy's landing and managed to avoid the worst of the shockwave. There were about thirty men with guns and then the ten League members, thanks to Dick's warning only five grunts with guns were knocked out. Then Megan descended and the fighting began in earnest. Talia shook dick off and made a beeline for the planes open cargo door. Dick made to follow her but was stopped by a red object flashing by his face. He turned to face Robin with another two batarangs in hand. Dick made a gesture to Superboy.

"You really want to do this with him here?" Dick asked with a bit of disbelief. Tim looked at Superboy warily, keeping in mind the super hearing. Tim refocused on Dick just in time to see the electrified baton a few inches from his chest. Tim fell to the ground shocked and dazed, unable to form a coherent though. Dick looked at Super boy and grimaced. He ran up behind the boy of steel and quickly evaded the wild punch meant to take down more grunts. Dick pulled out a glowing green pad and placed right on a nerve cluster, then Dick promptly struck down on the nerves causing Superboy to fall to the ground and try to regain control of his limbs. Dick looked around for Talia as he knew he had a minute before the kyptonite infused patch ran dry. He saw her halfway to the plane that was their ticket out but Megan was just about to give chase. Dick felt the gun in it's holster and hesitated a moment. Within that moment Dick came to terms with what he was about to do, how Megan would probably never forgive him, how he would never forgive himself, how disappointed Bruce would be, and how what he was about to do would save the life of one member of the super hero community. It made none of what he was about to do easier though. Dick watched Megan finish off the last of the henchmen in her way and turn to stop Talia. Dick was thirty or so feet from Megan and sixty from Talia and the plane. Dick exhaled a deep breath and pulled out the gun and put three shots into Megan's exposed side. Megan had made her skin more dense so as to stop any bullets from causing damage and it was quite effective against regular ammunition. But when the three .40 Smith &amp; Wesson incendiary rounds hit her exposed side causing sparks of five thousand degrees, It took every ounce of Miss Martian's strength not to pass out from the pain. As it was the pain sent her to the ground screaming in pain. Dick quickly ran past her throwing something from his utility belt by her as he did and caught up to Talia just as the plane started to really move. He jumped up and grabbed the door pulling himself in right behind Talia. He closed the door and the plane began it's take-off. Talia plopped into the seat closest to the door and set down the briefcase containing the cargo onto the table. Dick knew he should tell the pilot that they would need to land the Catalina in the water soon to make sure Robin didn't make any clutch tracker throws but he was to angry with everything. He had to shoot one of his team to protect incredibly dangerous cargo from falling into the hands of the good guys. The least he deserved was to know what was really in the briefcase. He walked over and turned the locks towards him. He saw Talia move to object but she must have seen something in his face as her expression softened and she sighed, turning away. Dick worked on the combination lock for half a minute before he was rewarded with a click. He opened the briefcase and a dark purple glow lit up his face. Talia turned towards him curious and saw the horror written on his face. She got and went to look over and she saw what had Dick horrified. Talia brought a hand to her mouth as she gazed at the small black and purple diamond that seemed to radiate pure darkness.

"Seven hells…" She whispered with the same feeling of growing horror that Dick had.

**A/N**

**One of my longer chapters, hope it stands up. This mission set up a few things for Dick and the Young Justice team so the fallout is going to be at least two to three chapters. Oh and lets see who can guess the object at the end! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

_Previously_

_He jumped up and grabbed the door pulling himself in right behind Talia. He closed the door and the plane began it's take-off. Talia plopped into the seat closest to the door and set down the briefcase containing the cargo onto the table. Dick knew he should tell the pilot that they would need to land the Catalina in the water soon to make sure Robin didn't make any clutch tracker throws but he was to angry with everything. He had to shoot one of his team to protect incredibly dangerous cargo from falling into the hands of the good guys. The least he deserved was to know what was really in the briefcase. He walked over and turned the locks towards him. He saw Talia move to object but she must have seen something in his face as her expression softened and she sighed, turning away. Dick worked on the combination lock for half a minute before he was rewarded with a click. He opened the briefcase and a dark purple glow lit up his face. Talia turned towards him curious and saw the horror written on his face. She got and went to look over and she saw what had Dick horrified. Talia brought a hand to her mouth as she gazed at the small black and purple diamond that seemed to radiate pure darkness._

_"Seven hells…" She whispered with the same feeling of growing horror that Dick had._

**In the Plane, Present**

Talia barley got out the words before she was spun around to a furious Dick Grayson.

"Did you know?!" He yelled as his hand squeezed harder on her arm. Normally Talia would never let herself be handled by anyone in such a manner but she was still in shock as to what was in the case. It must have shown because Dick's grip lessened and he slumped a bit.

"That…That is not the face of someone who was in the loop." Then Grayson looked at the case and his eyes widened. Talia also looked and saw that the stone was glowing brighter. Dick let go altogether and took a few steps back. Talia looked at him strangely as started doing some breathing exercises. She was about to question it when she saw the glow dim and continue to do so until it was back to it's normal levels. Dick met her eyes.

"Can't get angry around it. Don't want to run the risk." Dick said and fell into a chair looking at the case. Talia yelled to the pilot to bring them down in another mile so they could sweep for tracking devices. Dick nodded gratefully and Talia sat down next to him.

"We can't give that to my father." Talia said and Dick looked at her in surprise. Talia met his stare with a fierce glare.

"I'm not stupid Grayson, I won't give my father all the power of the wrath of god. Him and the light could never control Eclipso but if by some miracle they could…that may be worse." She said. Dick just nodded and they both looked back at the case. Both felt the plane start to land as they wondered how to handle the situation. Dick got up as the plane came to a stop.

"Well lets find the bugs and then I think I have an Idea." Dick said. Talia gave him a look.

"You think Robin was able to get not just one bug but multiple ones on us after being shocked to near unconscious?" She asked skeptically. Dick tensed a bit as he remembered what he had to do. He continued out the plane as he answered her.

"I know he did, it's what we were trained for." He said matter of factly. Talia raised an eyebrow but went and helped Dick look. After a few minutes they looked at the three trackers attached to batarangs.

"Son of a bitch." Talia muttered and Dick chuckled a bit.

"Wait out here, I'm going to get the case." Dick said and Talia's face lit up with understanding. She nodded and Dick went inside the plane. He walked up to the case and looked at the diamond within. He saw the purple glow and shuddered as a cold feeling went down his spine. Part of the heart of darkness was in front of him. Batman had always classified it as one of the top most dangerous magical artifacts in existence. But that didn't stop him from hiding a piece away, another contingency for another doomsday level scenario. The thought made Dick angry and before he realized his mistake, The diamond shone brighter and Dick found himself blinded by it for a few moments. When the light cleared Dick found himself surrounded by sailing purple fog all around him and the only thing he could see clearly was the man in front of him, who was dressed in long black pants with his upper body exposed showing off the eclipse tattoos . Dick backed up hurriedly.

"Oh fuck no! I didn't even touch the fucking thing!" Dick yelled as he backpedaled. All he could think was that Eclipso must have possessed him and even now would be using his body to kill Talia and then Robin and the team when they followed the trackers then he would on to the rest of the world, all with Dick's knowledge of the superhero community. He was overcome by the enormity of how royally he had screwed up and then Eclipso spoke.

"Oh calm down drama queen, your not possessed. We are just simply having a little chat." Eclipso said and Dick stopped.

"Is that even possible?" Dick asked skeptically. Eclipso just rolled his eyes.

"I am God's wrath given form Dick. I think I can manage a bit of telepathy." Eclipso said condescendingly. Dick just looked at him warily.

"So if it is possible, then the question becomes why the hell would you want to talk to me?" Dick asked and Eclipso grinned.

"You stand in an interesting position and I wanted to make things even more interesting. Living in my little diamonds waiting for someone to touch one gets boring, so if your willing if got an offer for you." Eclipso's grin widened as Dick looked at him wide eyed.

"Am I really not possessed?" was all Dick could get out. This time Eclipso laughed.

"My dear boy, if you were possessed, by this time, I would have filled the grand canyon with corpses…quite the image isn't it?" Eclipso said innocently. Dick just shook his head.

"Alright that makes me feel a lot better. A lot. Yep just a ton better." Dick rambled a bit.

"So ready to hear my offer?" Eclipso asked again. Dick laughed a bit weakly.

"Sure, I'll hear the offer that 'god's wrath given form' has for me. Being a superhero I've had some weird shit happen but this, this might just take the cake." Dick said and Eclipso cocked his head.

"Still think your a hero Dick? I mean there isn't a whole lot of Heroics in shooting ones teammates in the back with incendiary rounds. What would the big bat say?" Eclipso cackled. Dick gritted his teeth.

"I had no choice." Dick got out. Eclipso just clapped his hands.

"Of course and I bet this will be the last time you have to tell yourself that." Eclipso said sarcastically. "Now as I was saying I get bored being in my little diamonds waiting and I don't think your going to e touching this one anytime soon, so I'm going to give you a gift. Oh don't look so surprised I just want to see what you do with it honestly. When I do eventually possess some poor sap it'll be interesting to see what you have accomplished. I'm going to share a memory with you, this place It'll show is where my sword is housed. The sword itself has some power that I would be interested in seeing what you do with. Whether you go or not is up to you, just know one thing. The sword binds to whoever touches it first." Eclipso finished. Dick had a flash of a old temple in the jungle and some coordinates that he assumed lead there. Dick stood there for a few moments then ran his hand through his hair.

"Is me agreeing to this instrumental to me leaving this…what is this"? Dick cut himself off. Eclipso just gestured around him.

"This my little place in your head we came to talk and no, I've given you the information. The ball's in your court Dick. Also only take someone you trust completely with you, It'll help to have some back up since your only human." Eclipso said cheerily as he started to glow.

"Wait, theres a part of you in my head?!" Dick asked in alarm. Eclipso gave him a wolfish grin.

"Oh, there is a little of me in everybody Dick." Eclipso laughed and he exploded into purple light. Dick's vision was obscured again and when it came into focus he was back on the plane looking at a dimming diamond. He quickly closed the case and walked out to Talia who looked like nothing had happened. Dick thought to himself that the conversation pro ply wasn't as long to him as it was in real time. All he could think was how happy he was to get rid of this damn thing. He planted the trackers on the case and recorded a small message and put it out on a channel only Tim would have open. Then Talia and him loaded up, as the plane took off. Dick sat in silence as he thought about what he had just been through. The conversation with Eclipso had left him even more shaken then he had been which was saying quite a lot. What Eclipso had said about Dick doing what he had to do had struck a nerve. Dick was willing to do what had to be done but how many times would he tell himself that before this whole thing was over? What would he do when the things he had to do got more and more out of control? And also what the hell was he supposed to do about this sword? Eclipso was working some angle but Dick couldn't figure it out. That also left the question of who he trusted enough to bring with him if he even looked for the thing. Then Dick looked at Talia and thought briefly that she had gone against her father's wishes about the black diamond. Maybe… she would help him with this as well.


End file.
